Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and Charles I of Spain


Charles V was born in Ghent the 24 February, 1500. He was the eldest son of Philip the handsome and Joanna the mad. He was tutored by William de Croy and by Adrian of Utrecht (later Pope Adrian VI). He was brought up in Flanders by his aunt, Margaret os Austria, who was regent for him in the Netherlands. She and his tutors were the chief influences in his youth.

Charles inherited the low countries from his father. He inherited Spain, Naples and the spanish colonies in America from his mother in 1516. On the death of his grandfather maximilian I in 1519 he inherited the Hapsburg lands in Austria. After bribing the electors, he was chosen Holy Roman emperor in succession to his grandfather, and in 1520 he departed for Germany.

As Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V made a last attempt to revive the medieval universal empire. His opponents were therefore the European national states, especially France, the German princes and the Turks. In 1525 Charles defeated Francis I of France. Charles defeated the German Protestants in 1547, but when France made an alliance with the North German rebels four years later, Charles' empire was shattered
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In his remaining years Charles made a series of abdications that left the Habsburg dominions divided between Austria and Spain. In 1554 he gave Naples and Milan to his son Philip, whom he married to Queen Mary I of England. In 1555 he turned over the Netherlands to Philip, and in 1556 he made him king of Spain and Sicily. In 1556 also, he surrended the empire to his brother Ferdinand, and in 1558 he formally abdicated as emperor. He retired (1556) to the monastery of Yuste. He took an interest in politics until his death. He died the 21 September 1558 from malaria.


Charles V/I on Dipity.



created by: Sonia Lizana 2ºE